An important challenge in occupational health: sampling indoor airborne viruses

Abstract

Airborne biological particles are made by bacteria, viruses, fungi, pollen, dust mites and other living organisms. Between the airborne biological contaminants, the sampling of airborne viruses is the most difficult. This technical challenge has real consequences both in limiting the studies on the aerobiology of viral diseases, and in making possible, at least for now, to establish Standards for Acceptable Bioaerosol Exposure Limits in case of viruses. The circumstances and uncertainties in which we are living from the end of 2019, have demonstrated once again, the need of having common approaches in sampling, processing, and analysis of bioaerosol samples. Results from sampling indoor airborne viruses can be used both for identifying the airborne transmission of the respiratory viruses and for providing useful information as support in human health risk assessments. On the other hand, even if there are different sampling methods and equipment used for collecting bioaerosols, there are certain elements that must be considered in choosing the most appropriate sampling method to collect airborne viruses. The main challenge in sampling indoor airborne viruses is to identify the system that allows the sampling of bioaerosols ensuring in the same time the viability of the virus and the representativeness of the sample. Keeping in mind the lack of standardization in sampling indoor airborne viruses, as well as the missing of common approaches for air sampling strategies or sample treatment and analysis, the present work is focused on providing important recommendations as support in the concentrated effort of the researchers in developing of a common strategy for indoor viable bioaerosol sampling for virus detection.